Draw-bar attachment.



No. 70l,6 l8 Patented June- 3, I902.

w. F. RICHARDS.

DRAW BAR ATTACHMENT.

(Application filed Nov. 20, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet l Fig.1.-

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' Patented June 3,1902.

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' (Applicafcion filed Nov. 20, 1901.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLARD F. RICHARDS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GOULD COUPLERCOMPANY, OF NEW YORK,N. Y., A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 701,618, dated June 3,1902.

Application filed November 20,1901. $eria1No.'83 019. v(No-model.)

T0 atZZ whom, it may concern:

a citizen of the United States,- residing at Buffalo, in the county ofErie and'State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inDraw-Bar Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to a draw-bar attachment forrailway-cars in which the draw-bar is pivoted to swing laterrally and isprovided with side springs which yieldingly retain the draw-bar in acentral position and permit the same to swing' to either side of saidcentral position to accommodate itself to the position of the car andallow of couplin s on curves. In such drawbar attachments of which I amaware coilsprings are usually arranged at the opposite sides of thedraw-bar, and the lateral movement of the draw-bar is determined by thelength of the spring or springs at each" side thereof, thus requiringlong springs where a considerable lateral movement of the drawbar isnecessary or desired.

The object of the present invention is to provide a draw-bar attachmentin which a great or extended lateral movement or swing of the draw-baris possible without necessitating the employment of unduly long springs.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure 1 is alongitudinal vertical sectional elevation of a draw-bar attachment,illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, partly broke'naway. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3 3, Fig. 2.Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4: 4:, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an endelevation,partly in section,of the attachment,showing the draw-bar inits side position; Fig. 6 is a plan View, partly in section,with thedraw bar in the position shown in Fig. 5.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A indicates the coupler, and B the drawbar or stem, which at its inneror rear end is pivoted in any suitable manner, so as to permit itsforward end to swing laterally or horizontally. In the drawings the rearend of the stem is shown to be pivoted in a pocket or recess in thefront side of a bracket C, secured fto'the under side of the draft-sillsby a ver- Beit known that I, WILLARD F. -RIICHA RDS,

ticalj'pivot-bolt D, passing through openings in the end of the stem andinthe bracket. The forward end of the draw-bar is confined between anupper transverse guide bar or plate E, secured to the under side of theend sill, and a lower supporting bar or plate E',

mounted to slide upon the yoke-bar E between the upright end portions 2and which are provided with abutments F, which extend upwardly above theyoke E on opposite sides of the draw-bar B. The lower or body portionsof the spring-pockets preferably extend below the bar E, and each isprovided in its outer side with a recess or socket, in which is seatedthe inner end of a coiled spring I.

J represents a transverse rod or bar which is arranged horizontallybelowthe bar E and passes through openings in the inner adjacent ends of thespring-pockets. The rod or bar J extends outwardly through the coiledsprings I and is provided at its outer ends with stops or shoulders,against which the outer ends of the coiled springs bear. For thispurpose the opposite ends of the rod or bar are preferablyscrew-threaded and provided with collars j and retaining-nuts 7' screwedonto the screw-threaded ends of the ,rod or bar J. The springs Iencircle the rod orbar and are confined between the collars j at theouter ends thereof and the inner ends of the sockets in thespring-pockets.

It represents a stop-bar secured to the under side of the bar E betweenthe inner ends of the spring-pockets and formingstop-shoulders, againstwhich the inner ends of the spring-pockets are adapted to bearand arenormally held by the actionvof the springs I.

Each spring-pocket is preferably formed of an upper anda lowermember,the lower member having npwardly-projecting front and rear arms f whichstraddle the bar 'E', and the upper member having depending lugs f whichextend downwardly between the up wardly-projecting arms f 2 on the lowermem her to the upper face of the bar E and provide bearing parts for thespring-pockets. The outer ends of the arms f are preferably providedwith downwardly-facing shoulders f against which the upper ends of thearms f abut. The members of the pockets are connected by means of a boltZ, which passes through openings in the overlapping arms f and f Thisconstruction of the springpocket especially adapts the attachment foruse in connection with a freight or passenger car orlocomotive-tender,in which the yoke or bar E usually employed is made of wroughtiron, bentinto the form shown in the draw ings, inasmuch as the divided pocketscan be applied to the bars E after they have been bent and secured tothe sill.

When the draw-bar is swung to one side of its centralpositionforinstance, to the right, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6it engagesthe abutment of the right-hand spring-pocket and moves the latter andits spring along the supporting-bar E. The other spring-pocket is heldfrom movement to the right by reason of its engagement with the stop it,but the rod or bar J is forced by the right-hand spring to the right,together with the pocket, and as this movement of the rod is opposed bythe left-hand spring both springs are compressed to their limit beforethe movement of the right-hand spring-pocket and the draw-bar isarrested. It will thus be seen that the drawbar can move from thecentral position a distance substantially twice as great as would bepermitted if the springs were mounted in a fixed position. The draw-barcan of course move to the other side of the central position an equaldistance, as will be obvious.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with a movable drawbar, ofmovably-mounted springs adapted to be moved bodily by the draw-bar,means for limiting the movement of said springs in opposite directions,and a movable device connected to said springs whereby both of saidsprings are strained when the draw-bar is moved in either direction,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a laterally-movable draw-bar, of movably-mountedsprings adapted to be moved bodily by the draw-bar, means for limitingthe inward movement of said springs, and a device movable with saiddraw-bar and connected to said springs whereby both of said springs arecompressed when the draw-bar is moved to either side of a centralposition, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a laterally-movable draw-bar, of movable springpockets adapted to be moved by the draw-bar, a stop adapted to limit theinward movement of said spring-pockets, a coiled spring movable witheach pocket, and a movable bar connecting the outer ends of saidsprings, whereby both of said springs are compressed, when the draw-baris moved to either side of a central position, substantially as setforth.

4. The combination with a laterally-swinging draw -bar, and means forguiding the same, of oppositely-arranged spring-pockets having portionsengaged by the draw-bar and adapted to be moved thereby, a stop arrangedbetween said spring-pockets for limiting the inward movement thereof, acoiled spring carried by each pocket, a movable rod passing through saidcoiled springs and through openings in said pockets, and stops on saidrod and engaging the outer ends of said coiled springs, substantially asset forth.

5. The combination withadraw-barmounted to swing laterally, and aguide-yoke for said draw-bar, of oppositely-arranged springpocketsmounted on said yoke to slide laterally and having portions engaged bysaid draw-bar, a stop on said yoke between said spring-pockets, a coiledspring seated in a socket in each spring-pocket, a rod or bar passingthrough openings in said spring-pockets and through said coiled springs,and stops secured to the opposite ends of said rod or bar and engagingthe outer ends of said coiled springs, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a draw-bar, and a guide-bar or the liketherefor, of a springpocket member on one side of said guide-bar andhaving arms straddling said guide-bar, and a second pocket memberbearing against the other side of said guide-bar and secured to saidarms, said second member constituting an abutment for said draw-bar,substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 30th day of October, 1901.

WILLARD F. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

JNo. J. BONNER, CLAUDIA M. BENTLEY.

